British singer-songwriter Raye released her second studio album, ‘This Music May Contain Hope’, in March 2026, following a lead single rollout that began more than six months earlier. The extended campaign for ‘Where Is My Husband!’ turned a potential risk into a sustained build of listener anticipation.
In interviews, J Erving (President and CEO of Human Re Sources), Sydney Lopes (VP of Human Re Sources), and Dan Griffiths (VP of Marketing Strategy, UK & Europe at The Orchard) detailed the strategy behind the rollout.
Fan Reactions Shaped the Lead Single
Rather than selecting a single internally, Raye debuted two unreleased tracks during her summer 2025 festival appearances, including a set at Glastonbury. The team monitored fan responses on TikTok and Instagram to determine which song would lead the album.
Choreography from the live performance sparked organic dance trends and ring-showing memes. The label partnered with digital agencies and seeded the audio to relevant influencers to amplify the momentum.
The team also boosted organic short-form content across Instagram Reels and TikTok, and released a high-budget music video that reached No. 1 on YouTube’s trending charts.
Navigating the Holiday Chart Freeze
Facing the annual December influx of Christmas music, the campaign scheduled targeted advertising pushes on Boxing Day to capture New Year’s Eve party playlisting. Three distinct vinyl variants were staggered, with the final drop timed to help push the track to No. 1 in the UK in early 2026.
